Look After You
by LaueHime
Summary: ONESHOT. Pre-series with hints of wee!chesters. Stanford era. Dean always knew that Sam was the smart one but he didn't know how much and why until he gets a little reminder of where it came from. "You can be proud of yourself, Dean. Everything Sam is, he owes it all to you". Brotherly fluff. SweetLittle!Sammy, BigBrother!Dean, Guilty!Awesome!John


**A/N: I am indeed inspired to write stories! This is another one-shot and it's pre-series. I am currently studying how early stimulation is crucial in the development of intelligence and it gave me the idea for this story. **

**Summary: Dean always knew that Sam was the smart one but he didn't know how much and why until he gets a little reminder of where it came from. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or make any profit out of writing this (aside from having a good time reading it)**

**Enjoy!**

**SPN**

It's been a rough night. Not that any of them are easy with the kind of job he does but some just seem to flow more easily. Dean drops his bags on the bed farthest from the door, knowing that his father never felt safe when he was too far away from the exit. He also used the excuse that he was a better trained hunter – hence having better reacting skills in case anything happen.

His son just didn't argue anymore. He didn't want to get into quite another fight. Dean pulled at the sore muscles in his neck as John made a direct line to the bathroom and closed the door. The youngest Winchester could still feel the tension. His father and himself had gotten into an argument about the value of making an efficient research. Dean had been the one to do it and thought he found a case of Wendigos when it had really only been bear attacks.

They realized it as they were attacked by the furious animal and nearly getting killed was too close for comfort. John had then lectured Dean about wasting his time because he couldn't do his job right. He could have been out there saving more people instead of nearly getting killed. Dean tensed at the memory.

It was then that Sam was brought in the conversation. They never talked about him anymore but it didn't mean Dean never thought about his brother. Sam had decided to leave. Nobody had forced him to and that's what created such tension around the subject. But without regards to past frustrations, John had brought up that Sam had always been a better researcher and that had hurt Dean more then he let on.

Sam's departure had hurt him but even when they were together, his brother had always been the smart one John praised when it came to it. Dean used to hate it before he realized that he came to miss it because no comments about Sam meant no Sam at all. The only thing his father recognized him good at was physical strength and getting the girls. Usually, that's exactly what he would use tonight.

He would walk up to a bar and hustle pool before finding some girl to get laid by. Only this time he wasn't into it. Without knowing it, his father had reopened a wound that hadn't been healed to begin with. Dean absently pulled out his phone and started scrolling the list of contacts, sighing deeply when he came to his brother's name. He suddenly wanted to call the kid, if only to know that he was doing okay and enjoying his life away from his family. He shut his eyes tightly and went to pull the phone back to his pocket when it started ringing.

His eyes snapped open and his face dropped in surprise when he saw the name on the caller ID. His little brother was calling him! Tonight, on the very same moment Dean was thinking about Sam, his brother had to call. He swallowed back the bitterness from his earlier fight and turned on the phone, cutting away the sound from the starting shower.

"Sam" he said on a questioning tone. He really had no idea of what circumstances could bring his brother to call him so late, and _tonight_ of all nights.

There was a pause on the line when the voice came on. Dean's whole body shivered in excitation upon hearing that voice he had missed so much.

"Hi, Dean. Is it a good time to call?" Sam started to ask and Dean instantly became more alert. He didn't want Sam to think that he was bothering him. They so rarely talked that he wasn't going to screw this one occasion.

"It's fine, I'm just surprised that you called, that's all" Dean said honestly. There was another pause on the line.

"Dad around?" Sam finally asked. Dean turned his head to the closed bathroom door where he could hear the sound of the shower coming from.

"He's busy" Dean simply replied after a while. He heard Sam swallow in the receiver end.

"It's good. I've been meaning to call earlier but… you know… how are you doing?" Sam asked, trying to have a conversation even though he was obviously running short of excuses for his impromptu calling.

"I'm okay, Sam. It's been so long! How are you?" Dean returned. He could hear Sam's barely contained emotions.

"I don't know how to say this. Maybe I shouldn't have called…" he started.

Dean started shaking his head vigorously when he remembered that Sam couldn't see him from the phone. "Come on, Sam. You know you can call me anytime. You're still my brother" Dean said with a very subtle tinge of bitterness. He was still hurt by Sam's choice to leave after all.

He could hear Sam breathe on the phone and thought that maybe he'd finally get the whole story. "Everything alright?" Dean suddenly asked with a hint of worry in his question. Had anything happened to Sam?

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. More than fine actually. Dean…" Sam started. Dean was waiting in suspense now. He was finally going the get the reason behind this call.

"I just got my results back from the LSATs… I just wanted to share that with you" he continued. Dean's brain was now trying to process the information. It had nothing to do with monsters or sick brothers. His big brother radar went down. Was Sam calling to tell him about school? Did he want to hurt him even more?

"So?" he finally blurted out.

Sam breathed again. "I scored 174" he announced proudly. Dean frowned.

"That good?" he asked. Sam nodded. Of course his brother wouldn't really know all about that and it wasn't like when he announced it to his friends or to Jessica, his girlfriend, whom had been so proud and supportive. He didn't even know why he had to tell Dean. His family had told him to never come back if he left for school. But he still needed his big brother to know. He still needed his approval just by principles.

"Yes Dean, it's enough to get me accepted into Law School" Sam chimed.

Dean frowned once more. "Aren't you already in Law School?" he asked puzzled. Sam rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Pre-law, Dean" he reminded his brother. Dean chuckled slightly.

"Well, whatever. I'm happy for you, Sam! You got want you wanted" Dean congratulated with a hint of sadness in his tone. He knew that unlike Sam, he wouldn't get to have a normal kind of life anytime soon. Sam's tone went from enthusiastic to quiet.

"You could do it too, Dean. Have the life you wanted… start a body shop or something" Sam proposed. Dean sighed.

"You know I can't, Sam. Dad and I have some work to do. We can't leave everything on a whim just like that" Dean replied and it came out a little snappier than he would have liked. Sam got the hint and he knew about his brother's pain.

"Anyway, you're the smart one, Sam. I never did anything good" Dean confessed sadly, thinking back to his father's lecture.

"You know that's not true" Sam blunted. Dean sighed. Whatever Sam wanted to believe to ease his guilt...

"About that, I wanted to thank you anyway" Sam said after a moment. Dean frowned.

"What for?" Dean wondered.

Sam sighed and took some time as though he was choosing his words carefully.

"I thought back to the past and now I think I know why I've passed the test and why I can go to college now" he started. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Wasted too much time out into the real world discovering women to the profit of those geeky books you used to read" Dean tried. Sam hissed. He wanted this to be serious.

"Not the books, Dean. You" Sam declared. Dean froze on his spot and it allowed him to realize that the shower was now turned off. Not wanting his father to overhear his conversation, he walked outside of the room and started walking down the parking lot of the latest hotel they'd stopped at.

"What did I do this time" Dean asked, his tone not as accusatory as his choice of words.

"Remember when we were kids… first you used to read to me. I was young but I remember. Dad was away most of the time but you never let me down. You explained things to me and never let me down when I needed help for an exercise or school work" Sam explained. Dean stopped pacing and images ran through his mind. A small smile crept up his lips. He had done that actually.

_John had been gone for three days. Sam was seven at the time and Dean was eleven. His father had given him the responsibility of taking care of his baby brother. To top it all, Sam was a snoopy little monster. He kept asking questions about everything. Last night, Dean had brought a friend over to play video games on the other kid's console. Sam hadn't been allowed to play even though he kept turning around them to ask questions. His big brother was growing annoyed and snapped at Sam to leave them alone._

_When the brothers came back to the hotel room on that third day, Sam ran for the bathroom and locked himself in. When it started taking too long, Dean knocked on the door and pressed his ear against it. _

_"Sam, I need to use the toilet" he pressed but got no answer. That's when he heard the muffled cries from behind the door._

_"Sammy, what's going on?" he asked worried. Then he heard the little cracking voice._

_"Leave me alone, Dean" _

_Dean's fists clenched. "Don't be a baby, Sam. Open the door or I'll tell Dad" he threatened._

_The door flew open and Sam's tear stained little face appeared in front of him. _

_"How could you do that, he's never there! And he leaves you to take care of me but all you do is say mean things to me and push me away! " he cried as he ran to his bed and curled in a sobbing ball. _

_Dean was stabbed by the truth in the kid's words and instantly felt guilty. He walked closer to the bed and sat on the edge of it. "Sammy" he started softly. Sam didn't turn to him but he didn't run away either which was a good start. "Why didn't you tell me how you felt about Dad?" Dean continued. Sam shrugged. He finally turned to face his brother._

_"Because you're cool with it and Dad is so proud of you. I wanted to be cool like you, D. But I hate it" he confessed. Dean felt a surge of sympathy for the kid and he suddenly found that he too wanted to cry._

_"Why can't Dad be with us, did he stop loving us" Sam wondered, panic rising in his voice._

_"Dad loves us, Sam. He loves us more than anything but you know he has his job to do" Dean explained. Sam sniffled and sat on the bed to get a better look at his brother._

_"What kind of job does Dad do?"_

_Dean thought for a second and smiled. "Daddy is a superhero. He saves people" he said proudly._

_Sam's eyes grew wide and misty in admiration. "Really?" _

_Dean nodded and Sam sighed in amazement. But then his smile died a little. "Then why can't he save us too" he asked. Dean looked puzzled now._

_"You don't have to be saved, do you?" he tried, hoping to distract Sam soon enough._

_"The kids at school laughed at me today because the teacher told the whole class I hadn't done my homework again" he confessed. Dean felt anger rush inside his head and clenched fists._

_"Why aren't you doing your homework, Sam?" he asked in a way a parent would ask. Sam looked down in shame._

_"It's too hard and nobody wants to explain it to me" he admitted on a low voice. Dean was even more angry now but his rage was directed against himself. He should have known. He should have helped Sam instead of pushing him away. He promised himself it would never happen again. _

_"Bring your homework, Sammy. We'll do it together" he said. Sam looked at him with a puzzled look. _

_"How could you be able to help me?" Sam asked, not even thinking about the fact that Dean was a good four years ahead of him, only seeing that he wasn't an adult. _

_"I've been at your place, Sam. I can teach you how to do it" he said proudly. Sam looked at him with the same amazement he'd had for his dad moments before._

_"Can you really do that, D?" Sam wanted to make sure. Dean nodded. "Cross my heart and hope to die" he added. "If I can't help you I don't deserve to be your brother anymore" he added._

_Sam sent him a panicked look. "No Dean, you have to be my brother until we grow very very old" Sam pressed with urgency. Dean just laughed. "I promise I will be, Sammy. As long as you want me to be! You might not have Dad to save your ass but you will always have me" Dean proposed. _

_Sam had stars shining in his eyes. "You're the best, D" he said affectionately and jumped forward to hug his brother. Dean smiled and held his brother tightly. Then he gave him a little push to the side._

_"Okay, princess Samantha, now you go get this school work of yours!" he ordered. _

_Sam gave him a large pout that years later, Dean baptized 'Sam's bitch-face'. _

_"I'm not a princess!" he brooded. "Hundred-fold" Dean giggled._

_"Says who" Sam snapped. _

_"Watch out for where you step, I don't want to pick up your damsel in distress' ass" Dean cracked. _

_"Eat a shovel of rabbit poop" Sam replied. Dean's eyes rounded._

_"What did you just say to me?" he asked in amused surprised and jumped forward to tickle the kid. They started a poking war and laughed like they hadn't in a long time. When John finally came back, he found them asleep, cuddled against each other. _

_After that, Dean vowed to help Sam with his studies, as much as Sam came to ask for help. When Sam got into high school, he was already in the A-team. He'd grown a passion for researching and gaining knowledge and Dean could only tease him for being a geek. But deep down, the kid was only showing how grateful he was to the brother who taught him everything by getting even smarter._

Dean could see that now. He hadn't seen it like that at first because he was only trying to help a little brother with his school readings. Only, Sam's interest in knowledge had grown while Dean's interest had turned towards the physical discovery of the human species, especially if the subject was of the opposite sex.

His mind went back to the phone conversation where Sam was still waiting for a reaction. "If I had known it would turn you into a geek" he teased but there was no malice intended. Sam let out a light laugh as well.

"You taught me everything, Dean. You basically raised me. I'm using what you gave me to make something out of it, something I am passionate about" Sam explained. Dean nodded and he felt the moisture in his eyes.

"I'm proud of you, Sammy" he finally said. The use of the nickname didn't go unnoticed. It had been too long since Sam heard Dean call him like that. He would have complained but he didn't.

"I miss you, D" he simply said. The eldest smiled sadly.

"I miss you too" he finally admitted. "Tell me when you become a lawyer. Maybe you can save my ass for a change" he joked. Sam laughed. It sounded like music to Dean's ears.

"You've been the best dad I could dream of" Sam confessed. Dean knew he meant it.

"And you haven't always been on the smooth sailing side so that means a lot from you" Dean joked. "I must really be awesome" he added to push the gag even further. Sam just laughed. Dean had to smile too.

"As long as you're happy, I am happy" he finally said.

Sam shook his head to keep the tears from falling.

"I am. I wish I could share it with you guys, but at least know that I am happy" he stated.

Dean nodded and shook his own head to keep the tears inside.

"You take care of yourself, alright? And don't be a stranger. California isn't the other side of the world. A little call every once in a while never hurt anybody" he said. Sam giggled.

"That goes for you too, man" he replied. Dean nodded. He was about ready to hang up when Sam spoke again.

"Would you uh… say hi to Dad for me, please?" he asked. Dean nodded.

"Sure, Sammy. Will do. And if you ever miss the hunt, we need a good researcher here! I could never do it as well as you do" he replied.

"Thanks, Dean" Sam answered. They both hung up.

Dean let the wind cool his face. When he turned around, he noticed that his dad was sitting outside their hotel room. He walked back to him with slouched shoulders, expecting another lecture.

"Was it Sammy?" he asked suddenly. Dean wasn't expecting his dad to just know. He simply nodded. John sighed and looked down.

"Is he good?" he continued. Dean nodded. His eyes looked up from the ground to find his father's eyes.

"He scored at his LSATs. He's getting into Law School" Dean repeated the news Sam had given him.

John sighed and a small smile crept up his lips. "I'm not even surprised" he started. Dean looked up again to his father's proud eyes. "Sam's always been incredibly smart" he continued. Dean nodded.

John looked at Dean with pride in his eyes. "I remember he started speaking so early because you kept teaching him how to do it. You also held him when he started walking… you really took this job seriously when I told you to look out for your brother" John chimed. Dean understood that the pride he was seeing in his father's eyes was directed towards him.

"I hate to say this but you've done a better job than your old man at raising this kid" John finally admitted. Dean felt the tears collect again in his eyes. "You can be proud of yourself, Dean. Everything Sam is, he owes it all to you" he concluded. Dean nodded. Warmth filled his chest.

"I'm sorry I haven't been a better father to you and your brother" John apologized. Dean shook his head. "It's okay, Dad" he finally said. John looked up at him.

"We had each other" Dean finished. John smiled. He had to know. Dean knew too. Whatever Sam did, he would always be a part of this family.

"He says hi, by the way" Dean spoke before taking a place next to his father. They both looked up at the stars and even though they still had a long road ahead of them, and even though Sam wasn't there to physically walk by their side, the three of them were always connected by a strong bond that nothing could break. They were what made each other stronger.

And no demon could take that away from them because that bond they shared was as strong in life that it was beyond death.

THE END

**That's it for your fluffy brotherly Winchester story. I hope you liked it! Don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts, I love to hear what you guys have to say! **

**Thanks for reading !**


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